On the culinary side Benjarong brought in Chef Morten Boejstrup, an award-wining Danish Chef who used to be with Nahm restaurant in London and Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin in Bangkok, to introduce a contemporary flair to Benjarong’s Royal Thai cuisine. We were excited to see Chef Morten’s interpretation of Thai cuisine. For the evening we ordered the tasting menu (1,700++ baht) with wine pairing (1,300++ baht) and some items from a la carte.

Tasting menu: Hot and sour soup with prawn and galangal (tom yum koong). The way this dish was served made all the difference. Our server poured the hot tom yum soup over perfectly grilled prawns with shallots and cilantro right in front of us. The aromas from galangal, shallots and cilantro were outstanding. The grill prawns were sweet, while the soup has the right amount of tanginess.

Our server suggested that we eat crispy catfish salad with the crab meat and tom yum custard. The burst of flavors from the catfish salad was nice. The tender and buttery crab meat with creamy tom yum custard added more complexities to the dish. Very creative dishes that introduced two ways of Thai tom yum. Both were equally good but we gave a slight edge to the dry tom yum only because of its crunchy texture.

A la carte: Seared tiger prawn with cauliflower, satay spice and peanuts (480++baht). A nice deconstructed prawn satay served with tasty cauliflower puree. Ajad (อาจาด) a side dish usually served with satay but here it is transformed into jelly form. This gives it a modern look.

Tasting menu: Grilled Wagyu beef salad with dehydrated tomato, sweet melon and yam. This was a nice interpretation of spicy Thai beef salad but far more beautiful than the original version. The beef was tender and juicy while the acidity from the yam pudding was a nice replacement of lime juice in spicy Thai beef salad. The dehydrated watermelon and melon brings sweetness and freshness to each bite.

Paired with Astrolabe Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand 2011: full bodied with a nice hint of oak, a good match with steaks.

Tasting menu: Sous vide cooked duck breast with Aubergine, stir-fried cabbage, Chinese chives and crispy wonton with oyster sauce. Perfectly tender and juicy duck breast served with delicious vegetables and oyster sauce, a very well executed dish. I’m not sure what Thai dish this came from. It does have a unique flavor profile. It could easily be Chinese or even a western dish.

Our latest visit to Dusit Thani Bangkok reminded us why this hotel has consistently been one of Bangkok’s top favorites. Dusit Thani’s elegance, luxury and the attentiveness of the staffs remain its strongest points. Our dining experience at Benjarong assured us that Dusit Thani will keep progressing and improving even on things that are already wonderful.

For more details about Benjarong contact: +66 (0) 2200 9000 ext. 2699

]]>http://at-bangkok.com/benjarong-2/feed/0KU DÉ TA SIGNATURE BANGKOKhttp://at-bangkok.com/ku-ta-bangkok/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ku-ta-bangkok
http://at-bangkok.com/ku-ta-bangkok/#commentsMon, 20 Oct 2014 10:51:37 +0000Vasu Srivarathanabulhttp://at-bangkok.com/?p=18746KU DÉ TA Bangkok is well known for its superb club experience, great drinks and wild parties. It’s the venue for world class DJ’s that brings large crowds of cool looking people. For those of you who don’t know, there are two wonderful restaurants. One a traditional izakaya Japanese restaurantm the other is the KU DÉ TA Signature.

Instead of the usual clubbing and drinks, we recently had a full dining experience at KU DÉ TA’s Signature. The menu is based on Japanese recipes with some Asian influence. The evening we visited there were a lot of customers both Thais and expats but with its spacious dining area we did not feel that it was overcrowded. The open dinning space is surrounded by continuous large windows which provided panoramic views of Bangkok’s glittering lights from the 39th floor. On the other side the open kitchen is busy with chefs preparing the food. The ambiance was dimly lit lighting with some cool vibrant music playing in the background.

Not many people know that KU DÉ TA signature offer Omakase (leave it to the Chefs) style dinning experience. That’s what we came here for tonight, we opted for the Omakase 5,000 baht/person. The number of courses and quality of the ingredients depends on the price guest chooses, 5,000 is probably at the top. Executive Chef Jonathan Maza is the person to consult if you wish to try the Omakase experience. He will be more than happy to guide you about his creations.

The dishes we had for the evening were:

Madai ceviche: Japanese sea bream, young coconut, pomegranate amazu (dressing). The sea bream was light, fresh and sweet with a little tanginess from the amazu.

Hamichi nahm prick: Japanese yellowtail, cilantro vinaigrette. Sweet texture of yellowtail sashimi with a bit of heat from the nahm prick (Thai spicy seafood sauce) made this dish a nice blend of Japanese and Thai influences.

Hirame Longkong: Japanese fluke, longkong, tarragon Aji Amarillo (yellow chili peppers) vinaigrette. Another light tasting fish with a bit of heat from the chili. It’s interesting to see longkong, a sweet tangy Thai fruit, used in this dish.

Hon maguro tataki: Blue fin tuna, caramelized shallots, wakame, tosazu (bonito-flavored rice vinegar dressing). The fresh tuna was seared to perfection, while shallots created extra textures and enhanced the sweetness of the whole dish. Having bonito in tozasu dressing, the umami taste of this dish was memorable.

Madai shiso: Japanese sea bream, dried miso, shiso lime vinaigrette. Quite similar to the hamachi nahm prick minus the heat. The sea bream was light, not as less oily as hamachi.

Salmon white kelp: Kizami wasabi, ponzu. Salmon sashimi was sweet and tender, while the kizami wasabi (fresh wasabi chopped and marinate in soy sauce) and ponzu sauce enhance the flavor of the dish.

Dark red spoon- Toro tartare: Spanish blue fin toro with yuzu truffle vinaigrette and crispy brioche. Toro was luscious while the truffle perfumed the whole bite. The dressing had the right amount of acidity and enhanced the overall experience of this oily fish.

Green spoon-Tai truffle soy: Japanese snapper, yuzu honey, French truffle. This bite was a nice contrast to the toro. The snapper and the dressing were light and refreshing. The fragrant of the truffle was noticeable while the garlic chip added texture to the bite.

Tai tempura (bottom piece): Japanese snapper served with bird eye chili flakes and black pepper dressing. The hot and crispy fish tempura dipped in mildly spicy dressing was nice. We just wish for ten more pieces.

Aori Ika tempura (top piece): Crispy Japanese cuttlefish served with tarragon ponzu with Mexican chili. The crispy tender cuttlefish was delicious with just a bit of lime but the ponzu dressing make this bite more complex.

King crab salad: Sweet king crab served with Asian slaw (cucumber, raw papaya and carrot) and Umeiboshi dressing (Japanese sour plum) topped with crispy taro. This dish clearly had influence from Thai style papaya salad but it was not spicy. The crispy taro made this dish more interesting texture wise.

Tiger prawn salad: Perfectly cooked prawn with habanero dressing served with sautéed maitake mushroom, water chestnuts and heart of palm. The sweet prawn was the star surrounded by common Asian ingredients.

Specially designed chopstick: bend towards the tip so there is no need for a chop stick tray.

Kijihata: Spotted red grouper served with calamansi (citrus fruit) broth and garnished with mangosteen and Asian pear. The grouper was perfectly cooked, sweet and tender. The calamansi broth reminded us of Thai steam fished with lime dressing.

Hamachi soffritto: Hamachi with tomato confit, soffritto (flavor bases-carrots, onion, celery and sometimes garlic) ponzu. A nice blend of west and east flavors, the ponzu, however, was the more salient note in this dish. The fish was again cooked perfectly like other dishes we had.

Hirame tosa yusu: Fluke, crispy engawa (fluke fin), puree cauliflower, tosa yusu. This dish was the most complex of all fish dishes. Texturally, there was crunch from the pickled shallots as well as the crispy engawa. Then there were the sweet fennel, puree creamy cauliflower and the tosa yusu, which gave a little bit of acidity to the dish.

Tiger prawn: Beautifully cooked tiger prawn served with shitake corn succotash and creamy dashi broth. Amazingly for us the prawn was not the star of this dish. The shitake and corn with creamy dashi was so flavorful.

Matcha lamb: Lamb loin crusted with matcha and pistachio grilled to perfection served with mung bean risotto and mash potatoes. The medium rare lamb was tender and juicy with nice crust on the outside. The mung bean risotto was flavorful and creative.

KU DÉ TA A5 grade is the highest quality for wagyu beef (or any beef). The way to eat this was to make sure not to overcook the beef.

We put the beef on the hot hibachi just enough to have the fragrant from the burned fat. The steak was still pretty raw.

When it comes to sauce there were many from umami oil, black sesame, tosazu, and tosa yusu. However, we thought that a bit of salt was a better match for this superb quality beef.

Now at this point we were extremely impressed with the cuisine Chef Maza has created for us. We were surprised to learn that Chef Licker would provide us with a set of dessert as well.

Palate cleanser: Roselle ice with raspberry gel with lychee sorbet topped with dehydrated yoghurt. This was the best palate cleanser we ever had. The burst of tastes and textures from the sweet, sour, crispy, cold and refreshing impressed us very much.

White Chocolate-Junmai: White chocolate-sake cream, yuzu scented fruits and salted toffee. The white chocolate –sake cream was not overly sweet while the acidity from fruits was refreshing. The saltiness of the salted toffee actually lifted the whole dish- another solid dessert.

Chef Jason Licker presented his art.

Valrhona manjari (considered the best chocolate in the world) cream served with praline ice cream chocolate cake, caramel popcorn, and crisps. Chef Licker’s attention to details was reflected in all the elements in the dish. Definitely a favorite for chocolate lovers.

Calamansi stack: Calamansi cake (from the bottom), toasted almond crisp, whipped cream, exotic fruit mousse (mango, passionfruit, lemon), topped with sugar crisp. A beautiful stack that disappeared in no time. The calamansi mousse was the star. We thought that it would be a nice ending to our evening at KU DÉ TA but we never thought that Chef Licker’s desserts would create a whole new the dining experience for us.

Executive Chef Jonathan Maza and his team.

Executive Chef Jonathan Maza impressed us with dishes after dishes of his modern Japanese Asian cuisine while Executive Pastry Chef Jason Licker, an iron chef Thailand victor, wowed us with his splendid desserts. At one point, we actually thought to ourselves that these two chefs were competing to get points from us. They both won that evening. This was one of the most memorable dining experiences we had so far this year.

Medinii at the Continent hotel is famous for its Italian lunch buffet and usually advertises itself for having the best pasta in town. When we first learned about this claim, we thought that it was quite a bold statement to make in a city filled with nice Italian restaurants. However, Medinii’s Italian lunch buffet has impressed us in terms of quality and value (499++baht), so we have become regular customers. We recently visited Medinii for dinner to try its a la carte menu.

For the evening we started with the wild rocket, sun-dried tomatoes salad with parmesan and balsamic vinegar dressing (270++baht). The salad was full of flavors: the spiciness and nuttiness of the rocket; tanginess from the tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes and balsamic dressing; and saltiness from the parmesan and croutons.

Australian white wine by the glass (350++baht). Nice and dry, very refreshing.

Black mussels in white wine garlic sauce (400++baht). The mussels were fresh and sweet and the garlic and dried chili were nice condiments. However, more sauce to the dish would make it nicer.

Angel hair with seafood in garlic olive oil sauce (380++baht). As we expected, the pasta was an absolutely delight, with generous garlic and chili. The pasta was and the seafood was cooked to perfection.

Pan fried snow fish served with green pea puree, wild rocket and tomato sauce (450++baht).
A nice piece of pan fried snow fish- very tender and moist. The pea puree was nice, a more generous portion would be good to this dish.

Grilled rib eye steak with mash potatoes and peppercorn sauce (780++baht). The steak was tender and juicy but some parts were really tough, while nicely seasoned peppercorn sauce enhanced the flavor of the steak.

Tiramisu (260++baht) topped with mini chocolate balls and cocoa powder. The coffee flavor was strong and fragrant and the mascarpone cream was light and silky. We also liked this because it was not too sweet.

Vanilla raspberry panna cotta (260++baht). Nice crumble on top along with strawberries but the star was the silky panna cotta and raspberry sauce- a nice ending to a meal.

The view of the 35th floor of the Continent hotel at night was also nice making the whole meal even more pleasant. Medinii recently launched a new promotion 999 ++ baht, which includes
1) free flow of wine, beer, cocktails and soft drinks 2) all you can eat pasta and pizza 3) one selection of main course and 4) one selection of dessert. This is a must try promotion and available only on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 18.00-22.00 hrs. Come and experience for yourself, whether Medinii has the best pasta in town. For more details and reservation call 02 686 7000

Our culinary journey recently took us to Breeze, lebua. We have memorable experience dining in other restaurants of the Tower Club at lebua before, so we were excited to dine at Breeze, where we heard rave reviews about the Executive Chef Sam Pang innovative yet authentic Chinese cuisine.

Unlike most Chinese restaurant in Bangkok, Breeze is located on the 51st -52nd floor, which offers a breathtaking view of Bangkok Skyline as well as the Chao Phraya River. For the evening we ordered the Chef’s tasting menu (4300 ++ baht with an option for wine pairing for additional 2500 ++ baht) and some a la carte from the main menu. We also order some an item from the 2020 menu, futuristic Chinese cuisine that Chef Pang envisions in 2020.

We started with the some interactive cocktail drinks. Our mixologist explained all the complicated steps and ingredients.

Fire- Havana rum, macerated dried fruits, Cognac, raspberry, refreshing sorbet and fire. The fire helped to tone down the alcohol content. This drink was very refreshing and still had a nice kick.

Experiment- Gin, melon liqueur, aloe vera, guava, passion fruit, basil seeds or Vodka, Blue Curacao, pepper-cinnamon, pink grape fruit, pineapple and vanilla. Another refreshing fruity cocktail but this one was so complicated it reminded us about chemical lab in high-school.

Ronald Rueda Ramirez the head mixologist at Le Bua was the person behind these drinks created another level of cocktail experience. It really impressed someone like me, who don’t really like cocktails.

Tasting menu: Shallot pancake topped with fresh water river prawns in coconut-lemon sauce bacon bits and the much prized Ossetra cavier. The prawns were perfectly cooked and the lemon sauce reminded us of sweet and sour sauce only it tasted smoother and tangier.

2020 menu: Appearance is the name of this grand dish (3,490++ baht). Our server explained that the middle item is the moon and the surrounding items are the stars. The middle was uni or sea urchin in curry sauce on a rice ball. The taste was splendid, luscious with a mild curry sauce. Maine lobster in champagne sauce (description clockwise started from bottom left) topped with cavier. The sauce was very much like butter sauce that covered the sweet lobster meat. Baby squid with mayo wasabi: the squid was crunchier than we expected almost like pork rind, quite an interesting texture. Tomatoes and avocado salad with a scent of kaffir lime topped with abalone fruit sauce. The abalone was tender while the avocado and tomatoes salad was creamy. Foie gras barbeque sauce topped with salmon roe. Creamy perfectly seared foie gras went well with sweet and tangy barbeque sauce. Alaskan king crab meat deep fried served with sweet and sour sauce and topped with bonito. Crunchy texture on the outside batter was nice but the highlight would be the sweet crab meat. Prawn dimsum with truffle. The scent of truffle was quite noticeable but we were not sure if it matches with the prawn dumpling. Last but not least, deep fried fin de claire oyster with curry sauce. The batter was crispy but the creamy oyster was not overcooked, a nice execution of this item. The curry sauce certainly enhanced the flavor of the oyster.

Tasting menu: Sri Lankan mud crab meat ball with double boiled sardine-pineapple clear soup. The crab meat ball has a nice soft texture, while the soup was very refreshing, with a bit of sweetness from the pineapple.

Kurobuta pork tenderloin (1,290++baht) with spicy yellow bean sauce. Looked like a simple pork dish but the tenderloin was very juicy and flavorful. One of our top favorite dishes for the evening.

A la carte: Breeze seafood fried rice (750++baht) fried rice with assorted seafood and ebiko. The secret to all successful fried rice is the heat that is powerful enough to create that unique aroma. This fried rice certainly aromatic that the seafood did not really matter.

A la carte: Chocolate lava cake vanuari 63 % (520++baht). To die for chocolate lava served with match ice cream. Of course this is not Chinese in any way.

Tasting menu: Lychee and yuzu with crumble, meringue sherbet foam. A very light and refreshing dessert, perfect ending for the feast.

We mentioned this before and we have to reiterate again that the staffs at lebua are very well trained; the service was very attentive and impeccable. To be sure the food is creative and absolutely delicious but the view alone adds a whole new dimension to the typical Chinese cuisine as we know it. The glittering skyline, laid-back ambience made the entire dining experience truly memorable. We are not sure if the 2020 that Chef Pang has imagined would include this splendid ambience but it would be nice if in the future Chinese restaurant could focus more on the ambience.

]]>http://at-bangkok.com/breeze_lebua/feed/0Albricias Mediterranean Restauranthttp://at-bangkok.com/albricias/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=albricias
http://at-bangkok.com/albricias/#commentsWed, 09 Jul 2014 11:15:00 +0000Vasu Srivarathanabulhttp://at-bangkok.com/?p=17760We recently had dinner at Albricias at Chatrium Residence Sathorn. Albricias caught our attention because it specializes in Mediterranean fine dining. The moment we stepped in the restaurant we were impressed with the ambience. The tables were nicely spaced, the lighting was warm-not too bright and not too dark, and the grey/and brownish tone of the dining room was very relaxing and welcoming.

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Before we ordered, we asked our attentive server what “Albricias” means. She explained that it is a forgotten greeting word that comes from Hispanic-Arabic world and also means good news. For the evening, we started with some drinks.

Banana split martini (240 baht ++) made by Khun Daranai. A nice drink that tasted exactly like banana split with a strong kick of banana liquor and vodka.

Herbed beef carpaccio with baby wild rocket leaves, aged parmesan, and white truffle oil (320 baht ++): Very thin slice of sweet beef went well with the saltiness of the parmesan. The peppery rocket leaves complimented the beef while the scent from the truffle oil added extra dimension to the dish.

Crab cakes served with papaya ceviche and saffron mayonnaise (290 baht ++): The sweetness from the lump crab cakes was marvelous. The crispiness on the outside added a nice texture to the crab cakes.

The restaurant manager recommended a Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile, Yali 2013 – fruity and just the right acidity level.

Penne pesto sauce with parmesan shave (260 baht ++): The al dente penne in pesto sauce and sprinkled with roasted pine nuts tasted good but we would prefer to have more pesto sauce and more seasoning.

Tasmanian salmon slow roasted salmon served with creamy mashed potatoes and lemon butter emulsion (510 baht ++): The thick salmon filet was sweet and perfectly cooked. It went well with the tomato sauce and the rich and silky mashed potatoes.

Chef Namchai Kaewkanha the season chef came to present his signature dish. It was a beautiful dish.

Saffron risotto with U.S. scallop, tiger prawn, and lobster claw (970 baht ++): The risotto was creamy and well cooked, while all the seafood was very sweet. The pesto oil was also quite nice with the seafood.

Australian lamb rack served with pine nuts cous cous, apricot jus, scented with rosemary (890 baht ++): Medium rare lamb was tender and juicy. The cous cous with pine nuts was nice and the roasted tomatoes were distinctly sweet, almost like candy.

Beef tenderloin served with roasted potatoes, green beans and demi-glace (840 baht ++): The beef tenderloin was thick, tender, and luxurious. As always, when it comes to beef, a good piece of steak usually shine on its own. The demi-glace and rest of the vegetables were just supporting cast.

Signature dessert hot and cold (240 baht ++): Hot white chocolate sauce poured on frozen fruits. Cointreau (orange liqueur) marinated forest fruits were frozen and served with hot white chocolate sauce. This dish gave a nice contrasting sensation to our mouths but the white chocolate sauce was sweeter than we expected. We wonder what it would be like with dark hot chocolate sauce instead.

Nightmare chocolate pudding served with fresh strawberry, strawberry coulis, and mango pearls (190 baht ++): A nice warm chocolate pudding cake was rich and sweet. The fruit elements in this dessert help to cut the sweetness of the chocolate cake, a nice balanced dessert.

The overall experience at Albricias was very positive. The food was beautifully presented, creative and well executed. We particularly enjoyed the ambience and the friendly service of the staffs. This is a place that customers can truly sit back, relax, and have their meals with friends and family- laid back Mediterranean style. Albricias also offers Mediterranean dinner buffet every Friday priced at only 480++.

For more details/reservation call: + 66 (0) 2672 0200

Chef Namchai came to greet us again at the end of the meal.

]]>http://at-bangkok.com/albricias/feed/2Yashin by Tenyuuhttp://at-bangkok.com/yashin/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=yashin
http://at-bangkok.com/yashin/#commentsWed, 02 Jul 2014 04:43:08 +0000Vasu Srivarathanabulhttp://at-bangkok.com/?p=17684Recently I had a chance to try many of the restaurants at the Nihonmura mall in Soi Thonglor 13. One of the places that I was interested to revisit was Yashin by Tenyuu. Yashin serves edomae sushi and also offers omakase, quite a rare combination for sushi places in Bangkok. In addition, all the fish here is aged and marinated to emulate the old edo era as well as to accentuate the quality of the fish. Chef Boss, the head chef, cooks and informs the diners about the food he creates.

With that, it made me return to Yashin. Omakase simply means “chef’s choice”. You select the number of dishes 10, 12, 15, 20, which will cost from 2,500 to 5,000 baht. The chef will customize the meal for you according to your preference. Omakase is the kind of dining experience that diners will get personal interaction with the chef. Yashin has approximately 34 seats. For omakase, the chef will serve no more than a group of 6 people but in some cases he is willing to to serve omakase for a party of 8. The reason behind this limit is the chef’s concern for serving pace, each course must not be too far apart in order to get the best sushi experience. For the evening, I had the 4,500 baht Omakase.

Irish oyster with homemade ponzu topped with diakon and chili. The oyster was sweet and the ponzu was well seasoned, a bit tangy and just the right amount of salt and sweetness.

Kinmedai or golden eye snapper (right) wrapped seaweed and akamutsu or blue fish (left). The chef recommended to start from the right, which was less oily fish. I thought kinmedai was quite bland but the akamutsu was much sweeter and more pleasant.

Shiro ebi, very small white shrimps served with fermented squid intestine. The shrimp was sweet but the texture was mushy. The fermented squid intestine was salty and did not add much value to the shrimps.

Snow crab topped with seasoned crab intestine with dashi stock and vinegar jelly. The crab meat was very sweet, while the seasoned crab intestine had the right amount of saltiness. The jelly was quite refreshing.

Awabi sakamushi or abalone served with abalone liver sauce. The abalone was well cooked, tender and sweet. The liver sauce was creamy and well seasoned.

Suzuki or Japanese seabass served with homemade shoyu. In every bite, it is ready to eat. The chef will season with wasabi or shoyu as he sees fit. This fish was light and quite sweet. The rice was also the right amount. The chef doesn’t squeeze the rice too tight, so he recommended that I use hands instead of chopsticks.

Uni and scallop wrapped with seaweed tempura, served with a squeeze of lemon and Himalaya salt. The scallop was sweet, the uni was luscious, while the seaweed was a bit crispy, a very nice executed dish.

Otoro was luxurious and melted in the mouth. To enhance the flavor, the chef allow the fatty tuna to melt by kept it room temperature for a while before served.

Tiger shrimp brushed with special sauce.

Tiger shrimp, sweet and well seasoned

Shima aji or large Japanese mackerel, not light but also not that oily.

Gizzard shad sushi, considered one of the original edomae items. It was cured with salt and vinegar. It tasted a bit oilier than the shima aji.

Chawan mushi with uni. The egg custard was very smooth. The chef said the secret ingredient to this smoothness was the Japanese mountain jam.

Otoro aged in kombu for two days before grilled served with pickled wasabi. Normally I don’t like cooked tuna but this dish was ok. Still a nice piece of otoro should be served raw.

Unagi cooked in house by the chef. The eel was well cooked and tender. The bones were stewed to make the sauce.

Tamago looked very much like a Japanese cheese cake. Apart from the egg, it is made of shrimp, squid and some Japanese mountain jam.It was too sweet for my tasye. The texture was spongy not as smooth as it should be.

Sweet Japanese melon to end the meal.

The food and the sequence were well planned. The first time I was here, I felt the chef was very good at his job, not too much and not too little. However, this time it was different as I felt the chef was not as warm as last time. It felt like having the same show.

When you are sitting on a stool facing the chef, it can get tricky. The chef is standing tall in close range in front of you, so his conversation with you can become more of a teaching than entertaining. I do believe that the head chef is the strength and weakness all in one. The second time was not as enjoyable as the first.

One of the reason we like coming here is the ambiance. The view is amazing, you can see Bangkok skyline at the same time observe the activities happening at Lumpini Park. The tables are nicely spread apart. The space is interestingly designed: one side is large glass windows, the other is reflective surfaces. It’s the kind of place that can make you feel out of place. When it gets dark, the dimly lit space can be difficult to walk to the toilet. Once you get to the toilet you realize the sink is not only a sink but it is also a model terrain. It is that kind of place.

We have dined at Park Society several times and we have always left the place happy and satisfied. We recently visited Park Society as we heard that Chef Angela Brown has been appointed as the new chef de cuisine. Chef Brown has tremendous experienced and flair to offer Bangkok’s food scene, so we were thrilled to try her newly designed menu. For the evening we ordered, Chef Brown’s 5 course menu for the month of June (2,999 baht ++) as well as some a la carte items.

Amuse-bouche: Nice mushroom pâtéon toast.

Assorted breads served with butter and light pesto. Freshly baked bread with butter is hard to resist but it is filling and may ruin your appetite for greater things to come later.

For the evening we had Cote Du Rhone, Parallele from France (1,900 baht), full bodied and goes well with our red meat dishes.

So Organic Spring Salad (600 baht) with Tiger Prawn:Sauteed tiger prawn with mixed salad, tomato, parmesan and balsamic vinaigrette. The prawns were cooked perfectly in my opion. It was raw and translucent inside that . Making it naturally sweet while the balsamic dressing has the right amount of acidity. It made us linger for more.

Pan seared foie gras (from France) with toasted brioche, fresh berries, almonds and pomegranate sauce (900 baht). The dish was too beautiful to eat, it was like a piece of art, but we could not resist the thick luscious slice of foie gras, a nice crust on the outside and buttery on the inside. The sauce was a nice compliment to the foie gras.

(Set) Scallop Veloute: Scallop sliced served with new vegetables, and creamy veloute. The scallop was raw, sweet and tender. The hot creamy veloute was luxurious and added complexity to the superb quality scallop.

(Set) Snow Fish: The snow fish was wrapped in bacon cooked to perfection served with light cherry jus along with tender leeks and white asparagus. The salty bacon and the succulent snow fish already impressed us but addition of seared foie gras had blown us away. This dish reminded us of a popular Chinese steamed fish with preserved salted plum. Intentionally or not, this dish is far more luxurious and complicated than the aforementioned version.

(Set) Pork Loin: Roast Pork loin, crispy pork belly, peas puree, baby carrot, caramelized onion, red wine sauce and baby apple. This was a very well thought and executed dish. The tender pork loin was sweet, soft and juicy, while the crispy pork belly was out of this world. Chef Brown told us that the pork belly was cooked in duck fat at very low temperature for many hours (confit) before it was roasted in the oven for crispiness on the outside. Red wine sauce, dehydrated sweet apple sliced, and creamy peas puree help to enhance the dish. Surely, the name “Pork loin” doesn’t represent all the complexity in the plate.

Tajima (Australia) (2,700 baht): Roasted Tajima beef loin served with trufﬂed potato gratin, carrot puree, sautéed vegetables with merlot jus. The beef was rare, the way we prefer when having superb quality beef. It was very tender and juicy. The potato gratin was rich, flavorful and tender, while the vegetable added some natural sweetness to this dish.

(Set) 50 Shades of Blue: Butterfly pea flower and amaretto panna cotta, lemon curd and ginger crumble. This is one of the best and beautiful desserts we have had in recent memory. The panna cotta was not too sweet but rich and silky, while the tanginess of the lemon curd helped to enhance the overall experience of this dessert. The berries, chocolate and ginger crumble were pleasant to the eyes as well as to our palate.

Berry soufflé (300 baht): Freshly baked berry soufflé served with So berry sorbet. This is one of the signature desserts of Park Society and it rightly deserves so. The soufflé was light and tangy while the So berry sorbet was also sweet and tart, giving this dessert a double tanginess.

Petite fours: from So’s Chocolab

Now Chef Paul Smart is executive chef of Sofitel So.

Chef Angela Brown greeted us

Apart from the restaurant’s great ambiance that allow us to see Bangkok transforms into its glittering charm at night, there is a cooking philosophy that make this place consistently great. For many years Chef Paul Smart, who always strive for innovation and excellence, has fostered Park Society into a success story. With Chef Angela Brown now taking the lead, she believes that “ingredients should be prepared and presented to their full potential”. We had witnessed her cuisine and we believe her cooking philosophy is a promising one for Park Society. The 5 course menu may change every month, for reservation and questions call: +662-6240000

]]>http://at-bangkok.com/park-society-sofitel-bangkok/feed/0Seafood Extravaganza: the Berkeley Dining Roomhttp://at-bangkok.com/berkeley-dining-room/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=berkeley-dining-room
http://at-bangkok.com/berkeley-dining-room/#commentsFri, 06 Jun 2014 09:48:43 +0000Vasu Srivarathanabulhttp://at-bangkok.com/?p=17418The Berkeley Dining Room is an all day dinning buffet style restaurant at the newly opened Berkeley hotel in the Pratunam area. The hotel is part of a big shopping mall called the Palladium. They are offering a seafood extravaganza every Fridays and Saturdays. The dining area is spacious with high ceiling. The glass decoration hanging from the ceiling in shapes of fish and oxygen bubble in the middle of dining room is eye-catching. We didn’t wait long to explore the buffet lines. Everything looked appetizing and we sampled plenty of them.

Starting with DIY Caesar salad, the lettuce, bacon and croutons were crunchy, while the dressing and parmesan were tasty and savory, so it was an automatic winner.

Assorted seafood: salmon sashimi, fresh oysters, king crabs and seared tuna with Japanese seaweed salad. The quality of the seafood was excellent, naturally sweet.

Salmon sashimi was sweet, so we could tell right away that salmon here was top grade. The tempura was also crispy and flavorful.

Assorted hot food from the buffet lines: Salmon white wine sauce , scallops stirred fried with basil leaves, sweet and sour fish, and pork fillet with oyster sauce. They all tasted great, with the exception of the pork, we thought it was a bit too bland; it could use more fish sauce or oyster sauce. The scallops, however, were tender and spicy.

Penne carbonara with ham and mushroom: the ham and mushroom were optional at the pasta bar. There were also meat sauce, tomato sauce, as well as olive oil, garlic and chili flakes. Judging from this carbonara, the pasta bar here is top notch. So if you are watching your carbs, please beware.

A huge white snapper covered with salted dough and baked. It keeps the fish moist and at the same time flavors the fish. The fish was very fresh and naturally sweet. While there were many sauces to go with, we still prefer spicy Thai seafood sauce.

Chilled seafood: Alaskan king crabs, rock lobsters, river prawns, blue crabs, oysters, mussels, etc. We admire the quality and freshness of their seafood, with a thumb up.

Assorted Indian delights: naan bread, green chutney, chicken tandoori , lamb rogan josh . Well rounded flavors, the chicken was tender and the lamb was very tasty and fragrant.

A large piece of perfectly cooked foie gras topped with fennel stewed in red wine sauce served with balsamic reduction. The foie gras simply melted in our mouths, the way it should be.

Spicy glass noodle salad with assorted seafood was available at the Thai salad corner. The salad dressing was flavorful and the shrimps were still translucent.

For desserts, we chose fresh fruits because we had such a big meal but we could not help ourselves from trying its chocolate truffles and blue berry cheesecake. They were absolutely delicious.

The seafood buffet is 1,519 net and available on Friday and Saturday only and the current promotion is buy one get one free when paying with Krung Thai Credit card (KTC).

For reservation / more details: call +662 309 9999

]]>http://at-bangkok.com/berkeley-dining-room/feed/0Enotecahttp://at-bangkok.com/enotica/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=enotica
http://at-bangkok.com/enotica/#commentsThu, 03 Apr 2014 10:39:03 +0000Vasu Srivarathanabulhttp://at-bangkok.com/?p=16627I am a big fan of a famous cooking show called Iron Chef, and I have been watching many versions of it, including Japanese, American and more recently the Thai version. The Iron Chefs and the challengers always impress me with their great cooking speed, superb skills and creativity, and beautiful food presentation. To be sure, every time I watch Iron Chef I am hungry afterwards but I often wonder how delicious their food actually is. We all know beautiful food does not always equate to deliciousness.

However, my doubts about any of these chefs’ talents recently disappeared, when we visited Enoteca where we had the pleasure to experienced Italian cuisine created by Chef Stefano Merlo, twice the winner of the famous Iron Chef Thailand competition. Chef Merlo’s food was creative, beautiful, and absolutely delicious. For the evening, Mr. Nicola Bonazza the owner greeted us with a warm welcome and helped us with our selections of food and wines. One of us decided to go for the grand gourmet degustation (2800 baht ++) and the rest order some selections from the a la carte menu.

Our amuse bouche – Oyster paco jet. The oysters were transformed into a cold light mousse served with a dash of lemon and its peel. The scent and taste of the oysters were still there but the texture was completely different. It was an interesting dish from the start!

The second amuse bouche – eggplants parmigiana, with light foam of mascarpone. This dish was packed with flavors, salty cheeses and sweet eggplants.

Course 1 – Raw red prawns salad from deep sea of Italy served with diced apples, apple dots and flower. The prawns were very sweet and the presentation was gorgeous. We were told that the prawns were flown in frozen at minus 40 degrees and cost around 3,500 baht a kilo.

Mr. Bonazza cut open the plastic wrap to release the smoke kept inside the serving bowl. The scallops were tender and luscious with nice smoky flavor.

A la carte – Pan fried duck foie gras served with berries, prosecco foam and gold powder (890 baht). Thick and sumptuous foie gras matched perfectly with the tanginess of the berries, while the gold power added an element of luxury.

Course 2 – Cuttlefish stewed until very tender served in cream potatoes with parmesan and cuttlefish ink. Inspired by a three star Michelin Chef Massimiliano Alajmo, Chef Merlo tried to create his own version. The dish has been extremely successful, as customers have come back for more.

We never had cuttlefish this tender before and the cream potatoes were silky, salty and absolutely delicious.

A la carte – Handmade tortellini filled with pigeon gravy served with roasted pigeon breast and porto reduction (690 baht). Our server recommended that we have the tortellini and the pigeon breast in one bite. The bite was a burst of flavor from the gravy and the tender medium rare pigeon breast.

Course 4 – Biological spaghetti verrigni gold drawn with tomato water and burrata cheese. This simple looking dish was truly extraordinary. Enoteca uses special verrigni gold drawn biological flour spaghetti. We were surprised that the spaghetti was cooked very al dente compare to other pasta dishes we ever had but Mr. Bonazza told us that Italians usually enjoy even more al dente than this dish. We were also surprised with the concentrated flavor of the tomatoes water in this dish. If you try this dish blind folded you, would never believe that there is no trace of tomatoes to bare eyes. The spaghetti extra crunch with the tomatoes water and burrata cheese was a new and pleasant experience.

Course 5 – Beetroot sorbet risotto. The dish was visually pretty as the color of the beet root contrasted to the beige risotto. Using gorgonzola and blue cheese made this risotto very rich, velvety and flavorful. We enjoyed the cold beetroot sorbet with the piping hot risotto since it produced a nice sensation in our mouths and actually accentuated the overall flavors of this dish.

2008 Pio Cesare Oltre Langhe Rosso, Piedmont, Italy. With hints of fruits and good acidity, this wine was great pairing for our upcoming red meats.

Course 7 – Venison served with mustard and pomegranate sauce and celery roots three ways: chips, puree and raw. The venison was almost rare but quite tender and gamey, the way it supposed to be. Nice textural and taste changes from a normal beef filet.

A la carte – Veal cheek braised in red wine served with Italian chicory and celery root puree (840 baht). The cheeks were braised for 4-5 hours until very tender. The red wine sauce became a thick glaze that added sweet and tangy flavors to the extremely soft veal cheek.

A la carte – New Zealand lamb chops roasted with garlic and thyme sprigs served with violet Italian eggplants (990 baht). The scent of thyme was very aromatic not only from the cooking but our servers brought out a bottle of thyme scent to spritz at our table. The smokiness of the burnt parts of lamb chops and vegetables also added more complexities to this dish.

The lamb chops were infused with the aromatic herbs and cooked to perfection, tender and juicy.

Pre dessert – false egg. It looked like a real egg but the egg white was yogurt and the yolk was mango, a nice palate cleanser.

This did not look like a tiramisu at all but once the hot espresso was poured over the chocolate sphere, the dish came together nicely.

A la carte – Hot chocolate foam with rum ice crush (290 baht). This was most interesting hot chocolate we ever had since it was not just simple hot chocolate. The rum ice crush gave this dessert a nice kick and again the cold and hot sensation in our mouths made this dessert a winner.

A la carte – White chocolate canolli with pistachio and coffee ice cream (4 pieces – 340 baht). Normally made with mascarpone cheese, Enoteca intentionally made this canolli with white chocolate in order to avoid the repetition of mascarpone in its tiramisu.

Petit four to end our excellent meal: white chocolate with lime, macaroon, raspberry and raspberry coolie and soft caramel.

Mr. Bonazza’s great service mind has been the key to Enoteca’s success.

Enoteca is a relatively small Italian fine dining packed with superb qualities and full of surprises. One of the best things we noticed about Enoteca throughout the evening was the attentiveness of the staffs. Mr. Bonazza and Chef Merlo, in particular, are clearly passionate about their food and restaurant.

Experience traditional, authentic but creative Italian cuisine at Enoteca for yourself and you will understand the meaning of excellence. And of course you will know how good an Iron Chef winner is. While Enoteca is hidden in Soi Sukhumvit 31, we would not call it a hidden gem because it is always packed, even on weekdays. So, reservation is a must.

]]>http://at-bangkok.com/enotica/feed/2Le Bar at Le Beaulieuhttp://at-bangkok.com/le-bar/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=le-bar
http://at-bangkok.com/le-bar/#commentsWed, 12 Mar 2014 10:59:39 +0000Vasu Srivarathanabulhttp://at-bangkok.com/?p=16441Le Beaulieu has recently transformed its former terrace into Le Bar. Le Bar has been creating quite a buzz not only for being the first Veuve Clicquot champagne lounge in Thailand but also for its great food and drinks as well as its relaxed atmosphere. We admire Chef Hervé’s cuisine and his high standards when it comes to food and service (see our previous review of Le Beaulieu), so we knew that Le Bar would be something special.

Le Bar offers both outdoor tables and air-conditioned tables inside its glass house. The evening we visited, we sat in the air-conditioned section because it was rather hot outside. From Wednesday to Sunday, DJs are set to create mood for customers. The drink list is very elaborate, almost every drink you can imagine. The food menu is usually written on a huge blackboard and the items changes according to the best ingredients of that day. For the evening we started off with its famous Veuve Clicquot Rose and some cocktails.

Le Bar’s signature cocktail: With passion (395 baht): very refreshing with a hint of passion fruit.

Marinated bell peppers and anchovies (200 baht): The sweet bell peppers and salty anchovies were perfect combinations. Of course the best quality anchovies from Spain played a big part in this dish.

Deep fried artichoke stuff with Italian sausage (350 baht): Perfectly fried artichoke, crunchy on the outside but soft and juicy on the inside. The artichoke was not too salty and the Italian sausage was tasty.

Duck rillette on French bread (490 baht): The duck rillette was awesome, creamy and salty, the way it supposes to be.

Octopus salad (490 baht): The dressing was light and the sweet octopus and crunchy texture of the vegetable was very nice.

Baked razor clam (650 baht): The sweet and succulent razor clam just arrived fresh from Italy. They were perfectly baked with garlic and light arugula pesto. This dish was a real delight.

Half roasted baby Bresse chicken (750 baht): The roasted chicken was very succulent. The caramelized onions added an extra layer of flavor to the dish and roasted potatoes were very tasty.

At the end we also ordered desserts from Le Beaulieu. Millefeuille served with vanilla ice cream (590 baht): The crispy then pastry and layer of cream filling was delightful.

Panna cotta served with passion fruit sorbet (590 baht): The panna cotta was very creamy but not too sweet, while the passion fruit sorbet had the right degree of sourness. They were perfect combinations.

Needless to say our experience at Le Bar was pleasant like our previous visit to Le Beaulieu. The atmosphere was relaxed and the staffs were attentive. Unlike many other places in Bangkok gets by with average, Le Bar only offers excellent food and drinks. However, its excellence does come with a high price tag, a trade-off that many would gladly accept.